President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would not use force to acquire Greenland, the first time he has ruled out using military action to acquire the territory.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump lamented that the United States “probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable.” “But I won’t do that,” he added.
“That’s probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.” “All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland,” he continued.
The comments come amid a prolonged campaign by Trump to annex the island, which is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. That campaign has become increasingly confrontational in recent weeks, as Trump has insisted that there was “no going back” on his push to acquire Greenland, which he has insisted is essential for U.S. national security.